Deceptions
by pygmypuff8
Summary: Severus Snape gets a nasty shock when Narcissa Malfoy asks him to make an Unbreakable Vow, to protect TWO of her children.
1. Prologue

**AN: I really hope you like this, I know it has been done a few times before, but I hope you'll like my attempt at it. If you see any grammatical or spelling errors, please inform me and I will do my best to correct it. Any tips about improving my writing is appreciated. Enjoy and review please!**

_**19 September 1979**_

Narcissa grunted, her pale blond hair plastered to her head and hanging in lank strings from her half-raised head, biting a scrap of leather to keep herself from screaming as she gave birth. It was pureblood tradition to give birth at home, and not take pain potions, but right at this moment, Narcissa didn't care a whit about traditions, she just wanted it to be over.

The contraction passing, her teeth loosened on the scrap of leather and a laboured breath made its way out of her as one of her midwifes sponged her of and a second stood anxiously at the bottom of the bed where Narcissa lay giving birth, watching for a sign of the baby.

The room that Narcissa lay in was exquisitely furnished with the most comfortable cushions and chairs and plush carpets. All that passed over the three women's heads as Narcissa lay giving birth. Tears rolled down her face, and when the next contraction came and the midwife said push, a high-pitched whine made its way past Narcissa tightly clenched teeth.

"I can see the baby's head Mrs.! Just one more push," the midwife at the bottom of the bed said encouragingly.

After one last mighty push, that made Narcissa feel as if she would pass out from pain, she heard a lusty little cry, and the midwife held up her daughter with black curls plastered to her head. After sixteen hours of labour, her daughter was finally here. Narcissa weakly lifted her arms to hold the baby, but the midwife whisked her away to wash her, and the other one went out of the room to call in Lucius Malfoy, where he had been pacing non-stop for the duration of her labour.

Narcissa lay exhausted, too tired to even protest her baby being taken away from her. Lucius appeared at the door, his eyes wide with a combination of fear and nerves, and his hair in a disarray that Narcissa had never seen it in. She would have laughed at the appearance of her ruffled husband, if she wasn't more dishevelled and sweaty than he was, and if she wasn't so _tired._

Lucius cautiously made his way over to her, his eyes questioning her where their child was when he saw nothing. Too wrung out to answer, Narcissa was about to wave over to the midwife currently washing her baby, when said midwife came to her with a tightly wrapped bundle in her arms.

Her attention immediately fixated on the baby, Narcissa almost missed the awestruck expression that her husband wore when he saw their daughters little pink mouth fasten around her nipple and suck.

Moving to stand over mother and daughter, both of them completely absorbed in the miracle that was their daughter, neither of them noticed one of the midwives nod to the other midwife, signalling her to go, while she hid herself in a corner.

Narcissa lovingly stroked her baby's smooth white cheek, desperately trying not to fall asleep as her precious bundle suckled at her.

Speaking softly, so as not to disturb the baby, Lucius murmured: "Have you picked out a name yet?"

Shaking her head, and saying without any real bite, Narcissa answered: "When was I supposed to pick out a name? You were the one that wanted to keep the gender a surprise, and I refused the name you suggested. I will not name my daughter after a constellation."

Shaking his head ruefully, remembering the fight they had had over names, Lucius said: "Maybe we should wait a few days, after we both have had time to think about it."

Just then, the baby girl gave a watery little burp, and yawned to show delicate pink gums. Smiling adoringly at their baby, the Malfoys watched their daughter open her eyes for the first time, revealing a beautiful, warm brown colour.

They were still smiling over their baby's adorableness, when she lifted her arm, opened her tiny fist, and sparks burst out of her hand, showering them with light. Gasping, Lucius and Narcissa looked at each other with wide eyes. It had obviously been the baby, but such a display of accidental magic, just after birth, was all but unheard of.

Still awe-struck at the display of premature magic, they almost didn't notice the midwife trying to sneak out, lifting her left arms sleeve to reveal a black tattoo with the skull and snake of the Dark Mark. Fortunately, just as she was slipping out the door, with her fingers inches from her mark, Lucius saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, and spinning around, flicked his wand out of his sleeve and stunned her with a non-verbal spell.

Shocked out of her admiration of her daughter, Narcissa could only stare with wide eyes as her husband proceeded to revive the midwife and interrogate her.

It seemed she had been paid to spy on the Malfoys and report anything she may deem important, especially about their new born child, as he was looking for a wife, and only the best need apply.

After Lucius was done with her, she scurried whimpering and shaking from the room, after being Obliviated by her him.

White-faced, Lucius returned to a wide-awake Narcissa, the events having made her forget about her weariness, clutching the sleeping babe tightly in her arms.

They looked each other in the eyes, seeming to have a non-verbal communication, with Narcissa's eyes becoming more pleading by the minute in the face of the steel-grey determination and resolve in his eyes. Finally breaking the silence, Lucius said: "We've discussed this Narcissa. If there were any sign of danger to our daughter we would hide her. And," Lucius continued, seeing Narcissa open her mouth to argue, "even if he didn't find out about our child's power now, you know he will. It's just a matter of time. We can't take the risk of him finding out about this. You know we can't"

Even though she still looked defiant, there was a resigned quality to it, as if she knew she was beaten.

Hanging her head over her baby, she pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, inhaling the scent of her, before she seemed to steel herself. Looking up, she nodded determinedly.

"On two conditions, we give her a name now, so that even though she will have another name, she will have a true name, and second that we place her with a muggle family. It'll be safer, he would never suspect that we would put our daughter with muggles."

The horrified look Lucius wore when he heard her condition about muggles, faded when he saw the sense in the plan, though he still seemed dubious.

"Fine, a muggle family it is, we will have to place her tonight though, to keep the suspicions to a minimum when we say the child was still-born tomorrow."

Her face paling with the thought of spending less than a night with her girl, Narcissa set her lips and nodded.

After having dealt with the other midwife, to insure her story fit theirs, Lucius had taken his daughter, whom they had named Violetta Malfoy, after Narcissa's great-grandmother, and placed her in the home of a well-to-do married couple who were unable to have children.

After modifying their memories, Lucius made his way out of the house, looking over his shoulder at the house his daughter would grow up in one last time, before dissaparating.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello again! I just want to thank all of you for all the reviews and follows and thank one person in particular for helping me with the daughter's name, as I was too lazy to go search it up, and now I am ashamed. But, anyway, if you notice a different name, I edited the prologue, so it's okay, I think. Anyway, hope you enjoy, and remember that any and all feedback is appreciated. **

**Disclaimer: (Forgot this last chapter) not mine, just playing in the sandbox of J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

_**17 years later**_

Severus hadn't been too surprised to find Narcissa Malfoy at his door. In fact, he had almost expected it. Her son had been chosen for a very dangerous mission, and he was prepared to protect him, which was undoubtedly what Narcissa had planned to ask him. He was surprised, however, when she swept quickly into the house, and slammed the door shut before her _dear sister_ Bellatrix could come in.

Severus studied her pale, drawn face, dark circles under her eyes and her paleness, combined with her long blond hair, giving her the look of a drowned person, as she sat down on the couch opposite where he had taken his seat.

She looked uncomfortable, shifty even, and Severus' suspicions that she had some to ask for his protection over her son was cemented. He didn't say anything, however, knowing that if he gave any hint that he had suspected this, she would bolt, and he would not be able to follow either of his masters orders.

Smiling reassuringly at her, as reassuringly as he could, that is, he called for Wormtail to bring them drinks, knowing that the dreadful rat was just outside the door in anyway. A thump of surprise and some incoherent grumbling affirmed this. He didn't say anything of import, and stopped Narcissa from doing the same, until the wine had been brought and he had made sure that the despicable rat wasn't hiding behind any doors and listening in on his conversations.

Turning to Narcissa, he picked up his wineglass, noticing that she held hers with rather a tight grip, and asked: "Dear Narcissa, now that our resident rat has been taken care of, what is it you wanted to tell me?" he asked as pleasantly as he could.

Swallowing nervously, and looking around, as if wondering what else is hiding behind the bookcases, she began: "Severus, I'm sorry to come here like this, and I know I ought not to be here. I have been told to say nothing to anyone, but I don't know what else to do, and I think you are the only one that can help me."

Studying her over the rim of his glass, seeing her struggle as to what to say and not to say, he decided to spare her, and said: "If I hadn't known what you were talking about, this would have been disastrous. Fortunately, I do know what you are talking about, though I am at a loss as to how I can help you." his voice was deceptively impassive, as he waited for her to ask what he would have to do, and what would mark him forever as a traitor in the Order's eyes.

Looking up at him with hope in her eyes, Narcissa said: "You know! I told Bella you would know, thought she didn't believe me," shaking her head, as if to dispel all thoughts of her sister, she went on, "I wanted to ask you if you could protect my children, most specifically, Draco. I have nowhere else to turn to, and Lucius is in jail…"

She closed her eyes and two large tears seeped from beneath her eyelids.

Frowning, thinking he must have heard wrong, Severus asked: "Children? Surely you mean child?"

Looking up at him with big, wet eyes, Narcissa shook her head, and looking down again, said, so softly that Severus had to strain his hearing: "No, I meant children. I have a daughter."

Shocked out of his calm exterior, Severus felt a flash of surprise and shock flash across his usually impassive face. Fortunately, he managed to get his facial expression under control, and only held a faint tone of surprise in his face and voice when he asked: "Daughter? Pray tell, where have you been hiding this mythical daughter?"

Her voice holding a resigned quality, she said: "Her name, is Hermione Granger. The world knows that I had a miscarriage before Draco was born, but they don't know that that is a lie, and that I had a daughter, but that we had to hide her."

Questions raced around inside of Severus' head, but he restrained himself, and motioned for her to continue.

Taking a deep breath, Narcissa told the story of how, just minutes after Hermione, her real name being Violetta, was born, she displayed signs of magic. They had still been awestruck about the feat of magic, when Lucius had seen one of the midwives trying to sneak away, her fingers inches form her Dark Mark.

Sniffing, trying to hold back tears, Narcissa sobbed the rest of the story out: "Lucius tortured the midwife, made her tell us why she was contacting the Dark Lord. Looks like he was searching for a betrothed, and she had to be powerful, no matter how young she was. The midwife saw her chance at glory, and took it. Thank Merlin we caught her in time. Lucius obliviated the other midwife to make her believe the story of the miscarriage, and we hid our daughter at a place where the Dark Lord would never think to look."

"A muggle house," Severus breathed, shocked and impressed at the same time.

"Yes," Narcissa nodded, "but we now have reason to believe that the Dark Lord may suspect something, as the midwife that we had obliviated has been healed, miraculously, and he may have gotten a hold of her."

Nodding absentmindedly, Severus attempted to get his mind around the enormity of the truth, that Hermione Granger, the girl that he had ridiculed and despised, the girl that Draco had bullied relentlessly, was actually Draco's sister, and by extension, his goddaughter, as the wizarding children of a family only has one godparent, and all other children automatically becomes his godchildren.

Still numbed with shock, he didn't realise that Narcissa had stood up and let in a grumbling Bellatrix until she was standing before him, impatiently waving him over to where Narcissa was kneeling with her hand held out beseechingly to him. It was obvious that Bellatrix expected him to balk at the idea of an Unbreakable Vow, and when he didn't, she was so shocked, that she didn't even notice the slight change in words when Narcissa said godchildren, not godchild.

As the last of the binding chains glowed brightly around their clasped hands, Severus felt an unaccustomed feeling of panic in his stomach, reminding him that he now had to extra lives to fend for.

His feeling of panic was warranted, as he wasn't sure he even had his own life very well protected.


End file.
